It is desirable to construct mailer type business forms so that they may be made as simply as possible, yet at the same time contain as much information as possible. Also, it is highly desirable to have a reply envelope with many mailers. There are also a number of circumstances in which it is desirable to have more than one reply envelope to allow the recipient of the mailer to direct his or her response to more than one different reply address, depending upon what the response is. For example, if the mailer relates to a sweepstakes in which the recipient is, or is not, also including an intent to purchase a product along with the sweepstakes entry, at least two different reply addresses are desirable.
According to the present invention a mailer is provided which allows all of the above described goals to be accomplished. The intermediate for forming a mailer according to the invention consists essentially of a single sheet of paper, although a small quadrate ply may be provided to cooperate with the single sheet in order to form a third reply envelope in one embodiment according to the invention. By providing particular adhesive patterns and perforations, when the intermediate is eccentrically C-folded, the mailer according to the present invention is produced.
Three different embodiments are provided according to the present invention. In one embodiment of intermediate, provision is made for two reply envelopes, so that when the intermediate is eccentrically C-folded about fold lines (lines of weakness) the final mailer produced has two different reply envelopes. According to another embodiment of the invention the intermediate is capable of folding to produce three reply envelopes, and by yet another variation of this embodiment four reply envelopes can be provided. According to a third embodiment of the invention, a single, large, reply envelope is provided, and a label with repositional adhesive is provided over the reply address on the reply envelope, and has the outgoing address thereon which is visible through a window in the outgoing mailer.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention an intermediate for a mailer type business form is provided. The intermediate comprises: A single sheet of paper having front and back faces, parallel top and bottom edges, and first and second parallel side edges. First and second lines of weakness extending parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into first, second and third panels, the first and second lines of weakness being positioned so that the panel is bordered by the top edge and the first line of weakness, and is smaller than the second and third panels, which are substantially identical in size, the second panel between the first and third panels. First and second patterns of U-shaped adhesive provided on the front face of the third panel with one portion of each U-shaped pattern adjacent the bottom edge, and the patterns adjacent each other. Means defining a reply envelope flap associated with each of the U-shaped patterns in the third panel, and an activatable adhesive strip disposed on the front face of the third panel on the reply envelope flap. A third line of weakness formed in the third panel between the U-shaped patterns of adhesive, perpendicular to the bottom edge, and a continuation of the third line of weakness in the first panel. A window in the second panel on one side of a continuation of the third line of weakness. And an outgoing address area on the front face of the first panel, on one side of the third line of weakness, in alignment with the window when the intermediate is folded about the first line of weakness.
Security screening indicia may be imaged on the back face of the first panel, and on the front face of the third panel between the U-shaped patterns of adhesive, in order to provide an opaque quality to the reply envelopes. A label with repositional adhesive is preferably disposed on the outgoing address area, and first reply address indicia is disposed beneath the repositional adhesive label. Second reply address indicia is disposed on the front face of the first panel on the opposite side of the third line of weakness from the first reply address indicia. The third line of weakness does not extend through the second panel when two reply envelopes are provided, however to provide a third reply envelope, the third line of weakness extends through the second panel and a quadrate panel is adhesively secured along three edges thereof to the front face of the second panel on the opposite side of the third line of weakness from the window, the quadrate panel having third reply address indicia visible thereon.
First and second edge adhesive patterns are disposed on the front face adjacent and parallel to the first and second side edges, respectively, and fourth and fifth lines of weakness extend parallel to and adjacent the first and second edge adhesive patterns on the opposite sides thereof from the first and second side edges, respectively. This allows the intermediate to be eccentrically C-folded about the first and second lines of weakness, and sealed into the final mailer, yet for the mailer to be readily opened. Sixth and seventh lines of weakness are also preferably formed in the third and second panels, respectively, parallel to and slightly spaced from the second line of weakness, to again allow ready opening of the mailer form from the intermediate.
According to another aspect of the present invention an intermediate for a mailer type business form is provided comprising the following elements: A single sheet of paper having front and back faces, parallel top and bottom edges, and first and second parallel side edges. First and second lines of weakness extending parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into first, second and third panels, the first and second lines of weakness being positioned so that the panel is bordered by the top edge and the first line of weakness, and is smaller than the second and third panels, which are substantially identical in size, the second panel between the first and third panels. First and second edge adhesive patterns disposed on the front face adjacent and parallel to the first and second side edges, respectively. Third and fourth lines of weakness adjacent and parallel to the first and second edge adhesive patterns on the opposite sides of the first and second edge adhesive patterns as the first and second side edges. A third adhesive pattern disposed on the front face of the third panel adjacent and parallel to the bottom edge. A strip of activatable adhesive disposed on the third panel front face adjacent, but spaced from, the second fold line and parallel thereto and extending substantially the entire distance from the third to the fourth lines of weakness. A fifth line of weakness disposed in the third panel adjacent the strip of activatable adhesive on the opposite side thereof from the bottom edge. And adhesive means provided on the first or third panels for cooperation with the other of the first or third panels to form at least one reply envelope when the sheet is folded about the first and second lines of weakness.
The adhesive means may comprise means for forming the first and third panels into a single reply envelope, such as a pair of strips of a activatable adhesive disposed on the third panel first face adjacent the third and fourth lines of weakness, such as strips of pressure sensitive adhesive covered by release strips. A window may be formed in the second panel, and an outgoing address area formed on the front face of the first panel positioned with respect to the window so that the intermediate is folded about the first fold line the outgoing address area is visible through the window. Typically a label with repositional adhesive and an outgoing address printed thereon is disposed on the outgoing address area, and reply address indicia is printed on the front face of the first panel underlying the label.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention an intermediate for a mailer type business form is provided comprising the following elements: A single sheet of paper having front and back faces, parallel top and bottom edges, and first and second parallel side edges. First and second lines of weakness extending parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into first, second and third panels, the first and second lines of weakness being positioned so that the panel is bordered by the top edge and the first line of weakness, and is smaller than the second and third panels, which are substantially identical in size, the second panel between the first and third panels. Adhesive means provided on the first or third panels to form at least two reply envelopes when the sheet is folded about the first and second lines of weakness. And at least a third line of weakness for separating the first and third panels until at least two reply envelopes.
The intermediates according to the present invention are each constructed into a mailer type business form. A mailer type business according to the present invention comprises the following elements: First, second and third plies, the first ply sandwiched between the second and third plies, all the plies having the same width, and the second and third plies having a length greater than the length of the first ply; and the plies having top and bottom faces, and first and second side edges. First and second patterns of adhesive cooperating between the first and third plies forming at least two reply envelopes separated by at least a first line of weakness. First and second edge patterns of adhesive disposed adjacent the side edges of the plies for holding the plies together into a mailer. Second and third lines of weakness formed in the plies adjacent and parallel to the first and second edge patterns of adhesive for facilitating opening up the mailer. At least two different reply address indicia provided on the first face of the top face of the first panel, one associated with each of two different reply envelopes. And outgoing address indicia visible when viewing the top face of the second panel.
The first and third plies typically form two reply envelopes, and an interior panel may be adhesively secured to the second ply forming a third reply envelope. A window may be provided in the second ply, the outgoing address indicia provided on the top face of the first ply visible through the window. The outgoing address indicia may be in the form of a label with repositional adhesive, with one of the reply addresses underlying the label. A single flap continuous across the width of the third ply, with rewettable glue or like activatable adhesive thereon, and separated by the first line of weakness, may provide the sealing flaps for the reply envelopes formed from the first and third plies.
According to another aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form comprises the following elements: First, second and third plies, the first ply sandwiched between the second and third plies, all the plies having the same width, and the second and third plies having a length greater than the length of the first ply; and the plies having top and bottom faces, and first and second edges. First and second edge patterns of adhesive disposed adjacent the side edges of the plies for holding the plies together into a mailer. First and second lines of weakness formed in the plies adjacent and parallel to the first and second edge patterns of adhesive for facilitating opening up the mailer. At least one U-shaped pattern of adhesive formed on the front face of the third ply for forming a reply envelope with the first ply. A window formed in the second ply. And a label with repositional adhesive disposed on the top face of the first ply beneath the window and having outgoing address indicia thereon, reply address indicia disposed underneath the label.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple to construct yet information-rich mailer type business form and intermediate therefor, and preferably one having at least two reply envelopes. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.